June in Video Games

Catch up on the biggest video games news of this June in our retrospective. We've selected the top news of the past month, making sure you don't miss anything important. June 2020 was filled with game announcements and misconduct allegations.

Video Games June Cover

Whatever reasons you had to miss the world of video games in June, we’re here to cover you up. Below are the most important news stories of the month. Click on a heading to read the original story. 

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TAKE-TWO CANCEL DEVELOPER’S CONTRACT AND IMMEDIATELY TRY TO POACH STAFF

Take-Two Interactive have flexed their financial muscle by trying to acquire employees of Star Theory Games, after cancelling their contract to develop Kerbal Space Program 2. Citing issues with game’s development, Take-Two cancelled the contract and sent all their employees a proposal on LinkedIn.

Read the original news story by Andrew Highton.

Take-Two Cancel Developer's Contract And Immediately Try To Poach Staff Cover

Take-Two Cancel Developer’s Contract And Immediately Try To Poach Staff

SONY FINED $2.4 MILLION DOLLARS BY AUSTRALIA

Sony Europe has been fined by the government of Australia. The fine is $2.4 million U.S. dollars or 3.5 in Australian currency. The fines are due to Sony violating the country’s Australian Consumer Laws. Multiple customers claimed that when they asked for a refund for a faulty game, Sony refused due to the download taking place more than 14 days prior.

Read the original news story by Evan Prather.

Sony Fined By Australia

Sony Fined By Australia

KIRK SCOTT LEAVES NINTENDO

Kirk Scott, Nintendo of America’s third-party developer and publisher relations manager, is stepping down from the role he’s held for 5 years and is officially leaving Nintendo of America. He was largely responsible for Nintendo’s push for indie games on the Switch along with the Nindies showcases. He put out a statement on Twitter day confirming his departure.

Read the original news story by Henry Buehler.

SONY PS5 REVEAL: NEW RATCHET & CLANK GAME THROWS A SPANNER IN THE WORKS

The hilarious and zany Ratchet and Clank franchise is making a spectacular comeback for Sony’s newest console. The PS5 reveal event showcased the latest adventure for the adorable duo, and could be a sign of things to come from them.

Read the original news story by Andrew Highton.

PS5 REVEAL EVENT: HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST REVEAL IS INCREDIBLE

During the highly-anticipated PS5 Reveal, the long-awaited sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn finally reared its post-apocalyptic head, in the form of Horizon Forbidden West. Aloy will, once again, battle the scourge of robotic influence in a truly lush and vivid world.

Read the original news story by Andrew Highton.

IGN EXPO DAY 1 GAMES REVEALED

IGN Expo runs for 4 days, and this is a strong debut. Following the cancellation of E3 this 2020, IGN has decided to reveal games through online live streams instead. Read the original news stories by Anyka Pettigrew:

DAY 1 Reveals 

DAY 2 Reveals

DAY 3 Reveals

DAY 4 Reveals

ign expo day 1 games

IGN Expo

INSOMNIAC GAMES CONFIRMS MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES IS A STANDALONE GAME

Is Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales a remaster, expansion or standalone game? Insomniac Games has offered some clarification after an EVP head of European business at Sony Interactive Entertainment said, “you could call it an expansion and an enhancement to the previous game.”

Read the original news story by Luke Lawrie.

DEVOLVER DIGITAL PLANNING A JULY SHOWCASE

With no E3 this year, Devolver Digital is planning to have its annual crazy and violent Devolver Direct showcase this July if all goes well during production. The indie publisher will deliver updates and release dates on its upcoming games. We expect a side of wackiness to go with the main course of video game news.

Read the original news story by Tristan Zelden.

EA ANNOUNCES STAR WARS: SQUADRONS – A STARSHIP DOGFIGHTING GAME

A new Star Wars game has been announced. EA has announced today the upcoming Star Wars: Squadrons, a 5v5 starfighter dogfighting game with both multiplayer and single player modes. You can master the art of starfighter combat in this authentic Star Wars experience on PS4, Xbox One and PC platforms.

Read the original news story by Ben Williams.

PAX MAKES THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF PAX ONLINE EVENT

After the major announcement of E3’s cancellation, gamers have seen several events try to fill in the E3 sized hole left behind. PAX, however, has made the announcement that instead of cancelling its upcoming events it will host an online gaming showcase.

Read the original news story by Tommus Gerwin.

POKÉMON COMPANY ANNOUNCES NEW POKÉMON SNAP FOR SWITCH

The cult classic catch ’em all photography game Pokémon Snap is finally receiving a follow-up after 20 years. Announced during today’s Pokémon Presents broadcast, the aptly titled New Pokémon Snap is based on the N64 original and will be coming soon to the Nintendo Switch.

Read the original news story by Harry Fritsch.

pokemon company announces new pokemon snap cover

Pokemon Company announces new Pokemon Snap

CYBERPUNK 2077 DELAYED UNTIL NOVEMBER

Cyberpunk 2077 has been delayed from September 17 to November 19, the game’s developers announced today on Twitter. The developers attributed this to needing to “properly go through everything” so that the game can be ready for release without bugs and glitches.

Read the original news story by Jessie Paige.

EA PLAY LIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS: EVERY REVEAL AT THE EVENT

With every company opting for digital broadcasts this year, it can be difficult to keep track of what has been announced and when. The most recent company to have an online event is EA. To make things easier for you, here are all the EA Play Live announcements in one easy to digest list.

Read the original news story by Joshua Robertson.

Everything Announced During The EA Play Live Event

Everything Announced During The EA Play Live Event

CRASH 4: IT’S ABOUT TIME ANNOUNCED WITH OCTOBER RELEASE DATE

Crash Bandicoot is making a long-awaited return as Crash 4: It’s About Time has now been officially announced during Summer Games Fest. Recent rumours suggested that the decade long wait for a brand new Crash Bandicoot game was coming to it’s end, and you’ll be playing it sooner than you think.

Read the original news story by Joshua Robertson.

MIXER TO SHUT DOWN ON JULY 22, MICROSOFT PARTNERING WITH FACEBOOK GAMING

Mixer is to cease all operations in a month, with Facebook Gaming absorbing any partnered streamers who wish to switch to their platform. According to Xbox head Phil Spencer, this is just the first move in a longer partnership between the two companies.

Read the original news story by Marino Unger-Verna.

SUMMER GAME FEST: EVERY GAME SHOWCASED ON DAY OF THE DEVS

Here is a list of all of the upcoming indie games showcased on the Day of the Devs section of today’s Summer Game Fest, including Sea of Stars, Sky: The Children of the Light, Black Book, and an exclusive look at the newest Overlook Trail trailer.

Read the original news story by Jessie Paige.

day of the devs summer game fest collage

Day of the Devs at Summer Game Fest

MITCH DYER RECOUNTS HIS EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH STEVE BUTTS AND TAL BLEVINS AT IGN

Mitch Dyer, a former IGN writer, speaks out about his experience working with Steve Butts and Tal Blevins. He says he felt “exploited, manipulated, and afraid for my job at nearly every turn.” Seems that the Games Industry is on fire with allegations and controversies these past weeks.

Read the original news story by Cedric Pabriga.

DYING LIGHT 2 DEVELOPER CUTS TIES WITH CHRIS AVELLONE

Techland have announced that they will be severing ties with Dying Light 2‘s Chris Avellone. This comes after the narrative designer was accused by multiple people over the weekend of sexual harassment. In light of these allegations, Techland have announced they will no longer be working with the writer.

Read the original news story by Joshua Robertson.

ASHRAF ISMAIL HAS STEPPED DOWN FROM ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA

In a now-deleted tweet, Ashraf Ismail announced his decision to step down from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla‘s production. After a short while, Ismail deleted his Twitter account. What will happen to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla now?

Read the original news story by Cedric Pabriga.

Ashraf Ismail, Creative Director Of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Steps Down From Production

Ashraf Ismail, Creative Director Of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Steps Down From Production

TWITCH INVESTIGATES SEXUAL ABUSE AND HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS

In a blog post, Twitch updates its users about the steps they’re going to take concerning the rising reports of sexual harassment and abuse involving their streamers. A number of popular streamers have already been permanently banned. Another paragraph added to the game industry’s dark pages.

Read the original news story by Cedric Pabriga.

Twitch Investigates Sexual Abuse And Harassment Allegations

Twitch Investigates Sexual Abuse And Harassment Allegations

XBOX BOSS ‘FELT GOOD’ AFTER WATCHING PS5 REVEAL EVENT

In a recent interview, Phil Spencer has been giving his thoughts on the Sony PS5 Showcase. In the interview with Game Lab, Spencer also goes into detail on how the Xbox Series X will stand out later this year. Both consoles are launching this winter with no exact date just yet.

Read the original news story by Callum Jones.

Phil Spencer about Sony Showcase

Phil Spencer about Sony Showcase

SONY LAUNCHES BUG CONTROL PROGRAM, REWARDS UP TO $50,000

Ladies and gentlemen, attention please: Sony offers up to 50,000$ for finding vulnerabilities in the PS4 and PS Store. And now it is time to master cybersecurity and programming as soon as possible. Any PS4 user can engage. Make sure you don’t lose out on such an opportunity!

Read the original news story by Kira Laib.

Sony launches Bug Control Program, Rewards Up to $50,000 cover

Sony launches Bug Control Program, Rewards Up to $50,000

THE LAST OF US PART II SALES HIT 4 MILLION IN ITS FIRST WEEK

The Last of Us Part II sales have skyrocketed this past week, with Sony and Naughty Dog shifting over 4 millions copies worldwide. This beats out a number of other incredibly popular Sony properties to become the fastest selling PS4 exclusive of all time.

Read the original news story by Joshua Robertson.

DR DISRESPECT BANNED ON TWITCH, REPORTS SAY IT’S PERMANENT

Dr Disrespect has been banned from Twitch, and reports say that this will be permanent. This comes following a statement from Twitch earlier in the week saying that they will be cracking down on sexual abuse and harassment involving streamers on their platform.

Read the original news story by Luke Lawrie.

Dr Disrespect

Dr Disrespect

HARRY POTTER RPG REPORTEDLY COMING 2021 DESPITE AUTHOR’S MISCONDUCTS

The long-awaited Harry Potter RPG is slated to release in 2021. According to a Bloomberg report, some of the developers have been feeling anxiety over J.K. Rowling’s recent misconducts. Despite this, they plan to release the game late next year on next-gen consoles. We can’t wait to role-play as wizards in the wizarding world of Harry Potter!

Read the original news story by Anyka Pettigrew.

NINTENDO PRESIDENT APOLOGIZES FOR JOY-CON DRIFT ISSUES

Nintendo apologizes for the recurring Joy-Con drift defect that impacts many Switch owners. The problem causes the Joy-Con controllers for the Switch to move without any input from the player. It has led to a lawsuit against Nintendo America along with repairs and refunds to be issued to customers.

Read the original news story by Tristan Zelden.

Nintendo apologizes for the Joy-Con drift defect

Nintendo apologizes for the Joy-Con drift defect

We also do weekly news roundups for those of you wanting to know the latest news. Check out our News Roundup #107. More news? Sure, we have a dedicated news section.

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